


And The Sunsets

by Idgafzxck



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Hybrids, Jeno hybrid, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-04
Updated: 2018-06-11
Packaged: 2019-05-02 02:39:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14534883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Idgafzxck/pseuds/Idgafzxck
Summary: ♧ Struggling college student Na Jaemin finds a small and sickly Husky Hybrid under one of the bridges he frequentsJaemin finds blues and browns in beautifully sincere eyes, he finds chewed Nike's, he finds out his new roommate is allergic to chocolate cake. Oh and Jaemin finds a sunset. Jaemin found his sunset.♤





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [japonaiserie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/japonaiserie/gifts).



> Hiiii! This one's for you, Vince!
> 
> Big love!

Jaemin was 17 when he found Jeno at 5:40 in the afternoon under the bridge he goes to when he wants to think. He was nothing more than skin and bone, like he had faced the world on his own. 

His eyes, however, told a different story. The blue and the brown in his orbs contained galaxies within them. They told tales of resilience and love. There were waves that ebbed and flowed as frequent as the seasons pass. It was as if they were challenging Jaemin to even try and fathom the weight of his gaze.

"Hi hyung." Said a frail voice.

Jaemin looked at the boy, not even half his size. He smiled at the way the hybrid's tail was torn between a mix of uncertainty and joy.

"It's kind of cold out for you to be staying here, don't you think?"

The hybrid gave a toothy grin that exposed his little canines. He took Jaemin's hand and started dragging him further under the bridge to where a cardboard box had been laid out along with a couple ripped pieces of cloth.

"It's warm here." The hybrid commented as he pointed to the cardboard.

There it was again. The light that never seemed to dim even in the most hopeless situations. 

There was no warmth in the hybrid's bed. None whatsoever. The only semblance of warmth Jaemin saw were in those eyes.

"What's your name?" Jaemin questioned, disregarding the hybrid's offer.

"I am Jeno." The hybrid answered with a curious tilt to his head.

"Do you stay with anyone, Jeno? Family? Friends?"

Jeno's ears subtly pressed flat against his bed of hair. "Ah. Family is.."

Jaemin was transfixed with the boy's eyes. The galaxies had stars and he could see them collide and create heavenly bodies, but he also saw black holes. The same eyes that had created solar systems began to destroy them just as quickly as they were birthed.

Jaemin was now staring at black holes, voids of emptiness that neither created nor destroyed. They were born into the world to just be as they are.

"Family is not here. Jeno here by himself."

Jaemin knew right then and there that he didn't want Jeno's eyes to contain black holes or endless voids. He vowed to be the warmth the world failed to give. He vowed to be the one that made sure those eyes never lost their light, to be the one that kept that flame ablaze.

"Jaemin is also here by himself."

"It's okay. Now we are two." Jeno held out two of his little fingers out for Jaemin to see.

Jaemin gave the hybri- no. Jaemin gave Jeno his biggest smile as he opened his arms. "We can be family."

" Just you and Jeno?"

"Yeah. Just Jaemin and Jeno."

There they were. All the stars that keep the void in the sky warm. The ones that light up the darkest of planets. The heavenly bodies Jaemin swore he would keep afloat. They were all on display for him and only him.

Jeno smiled as he ran into the larger male's embrace, his arms struggling to link around Jaemin's neck.

"Okay, mister Jaemin hyung and Jeno sounds nice."

"It's Jaemin. Just Jaemin."

 

♤

 

Jaemin turned 18 right around the time Jeno grew double his size. He now stood half as tall as Jaemin. There were still galaxies in his eyes and Jaemin still kept his promise. 

This was also the time where Jaemin rushed Jeno to the Hybrid center in the middle of the night because the boy just stopped breathing after he had convulsed.

The waiting room was pure torture. The metal seats were so cold that they stung, the smell of antiseptics made Jaemin feel dirty, and the clock ticking unnaturally loud made the time he spent apart from Jeno not knowing whether he was okay or not, even more apparent.

Jaemin knelt and cried into Jeno's chest the moment he walked out of the E.R. with Doctor Choi.

Anaphylactic shock is what it was. Turns out Jeno's body had a deathly reaction to chocolate and nuts. Both of which the boy had specifically requested for to be on his birthday cake.

"Can Jeno not eat his cake anymore?" Came the hoarse concern of the hybrid.

Jaemin sniffled and tried wiping the remaining tears on Jeno's shirt. "No no. You can. Just.. not the one we bought okay? Doctor Choi explained it to you right?"

Jeno nodded before reporting back whatever Doctor Choi had already explained to him just as he ran to check on the boy. "No chocolate and no nuts. Not even peanut butter." 

Jeno frowned and pouted at Jaemin. "But I like peanut butter."

"I guess we'll just have to find something else you'll like just as much, okay, bud?"

"Okay fine." The little boy huffed, allowing himself to be carried by Jaemin as they walked home.

Jaemin was complacent. He thought adopting a hybrid was as easy as providing food and shelter. He failed to realize Jeno needed so much more than that. 

There was a soft tug on Jaemin's ear lobe that broke him out of his internal struggle. 

"My cake." Jeno whispered with his hoarse voice.

Who was Jaemin to deny Jeno of what he wanted? They headed to a coffee shop that was open 24/7 and also conveniently sold a few cakes.

"Okay, birthday boy. No more chocolate and nuts this time okay?"

Jeno pouted with a huff, one of his canines jutting out. His eyes were scanning the display rather thoroughly.

The last thing Jaemin hears before the little hybrid is yelling at him for taking too long to get home is a hushed "But I like chocolate and nuts."

 

♤

 

Jeno's height skyrocketed from being half Jaemin's height to staring right at his throat when he stood upright.

They say things change when your kids grow up. They say an air of awkwardness develops right around the age of adolescence. These cases may have been true to most parents and their children, but Jaemin wasn't Jeno's parent and Jeno sure didn't feel like Jaemin's child.

Jeno didn't shy away from Jaemin when his body started to rapidly exhibit signs of growth. Jeno told Jaemin about how he now had hair in his armpits and how he would feel his voice changing. There seemed to be no filter for the hybrid's honesty when it came to things he told Jaemin.

"Nana, I have hair down there too." Jeno confessed to Jaemin one day, snickering at how flustered Jaemin became. 

"Yah! Don't throw that around so casually."

Jeno raised an eyebrow and snickered some more. "Relax nana. It's only us two here."

"Yah! Jeno watch your mouth. And that's Jaemin hyung to you. You used to be so polite and nice. I didn't realize I was sharing the same roof with a heathen." Came Jaemin's bitter response. 

Jaemin wasn't really mad. It was just that Jeno grew up rather quick. He was more sad and sentimental than angry. Before they both knew it the hybrid would be off doing who knows what and he'd already have forgotten this Na Jaemin character. Yeah. That sounds about right.

But that wasn't Jeno. If he'd be off doing who knows what and forgetting Jaemin, then that just wouldn't be Jeno.

Jaemin felt a bed of hair and pair of soft ears nuzzling his neck. There was a very bulky body trying to fit itself into Jaemin's personal space.He could hear soft whimpers from the boy. His eyes turned toward the hybrid's own brown and blue ones as he tilted Jeno's face to face him.

There were tears in his eyes, regret and sadness written on his face. This little ball of anxiety and fluff was Jeno. Confident and dominant one second then whiny and emotional the next. Jaemin often thinks how Jeno is just a baby gifted with a man's body. His physique was that of a healthy young adult's- a premature greek god's even. But despite all that all Jeno really was was a puppy that follows Jaemin around and always aims to please him.

"Nono.. why are you crying?"

"B-because you're angry and I-I did bad and I don't want you to be mad at me." Jeno's a whimpering mess at the end of his explanation. 

"Shhh. You're not a bad boy. I'm sorry for overreacting." 

"But you said you didn't want to live with me."

The young hybrid tends to blow things out of proportion when his nerves start getting to him. This was a perfect example of how much Jeno's past still affects him to this day.

Jeno still thinks the family that adopted him was angry with whatever he did even though he knew he did absolutely nothing. The thought of doing bad and getting left as a result has been cemented into his head, and that's not an easy cross to carry.

Jaemin pinches Jeno's cheek, grinning at the onslaught of whines he got from the male.

"I never said I didn't want to live with you, dumbo."

Things happen in a flash. Jaemin is on his back, lying on the couch. Jeno is on top of him, frowning as he rubs his cheeks. 

"Hmmm mean."

Jaemin just stares at Jeno, looking at how much he's grown in the few years he's been with him. 

There's one place the older male never stops checking up on- Jeno's eyes. It makes him wonder if he had the same galaxies within his own hazel orbs. Makes him wonder if anyone has ever thought about what worlds are hidden behind the windows of his soul.

"You have stars in your eyes, nono." Jaemin breathes out in a barely audible whisper.

"You're still Jeno's nana?" 

Jaemin rolls his eyes at how Jeno just disregards whatever he said. He starts carding his fingers through the soft raven locks of the hybrid's hair. His hair was like silk. It must have been a hybrid thing. It had to be a hybrid thing. Jaemin's never felt anything as silky as Jeno's hair before. And no. He wasn't biased at all.

Maybe stars within their eyes was a conversation to be had at a different time, Jaemin thinks.

"Whatever you say, you punk."

So this was them. Jeno and Jaemin. Jeno's nana and Jaemin's nono. Or at least that's what they wanted it to be.

 

♤

 

Jeno towered over Jaemin around the time Jaemin turned 20. His body bulked up and filled in any blanks there were over a year ago. His voice was still soft but it had a tone of dominance to it. His eyes still held the world and everything around it within them.

 

The year 2016 was when Jeno stopped becoming Jaemin's nono and Jaemin stopped becoming Jeno's nana.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took a while but it's here now! Semi proofread so please forgive any typos or spelling errors.
> 
> Tell me how the second chapter went because it felt like it was pretty damn different from the first or is it just me? Lol
> 
> //Jeno is just a puppy and it doesn't matter if he's much larger than Jaemin now. UnU nuff said.

Jaemin dreams of hushed whimpers, raven locks being carded by his own slim digits, and mismatched eyes.

There's warmth engulfing the space behind him.

Jaemin dreams of the brown in one of Jeno's eyes, except it isn't a brown. It was never a brown to begin with. The earthy hue had a bit to much warmth to be labeled a true brown. It was.. it could be.. Jaemin couldn't put a name to it.

The warmth snakes around his waist.

Jaemin is dreaming of his bills now. All the things he needs to pay. All the things he's saving up for- for himself and for Jeno. His mind wonders if his body can ever keep up with it. He wonders whether the human body was ever made to keep up with the mind.

The warmth is right around his head now. Slowly but surely hovering around his neck   
and occasionally blowing wisps into his ear.

Now, Jaemin is dreaming about Jeno leaving to pursue a life beyond the horizon the hybrid has been sharing with him. He sees rain in the galaxies he has nurtured since that fateful day. That shouldn't be happening, Jaemin thinks. There should be no rain in outer space, but there is. He envisions his own set of heavenly bodies and sees nothing but peacefulness. No sadness, no sorrow, and no regret.

The warmth is now very much tangible. It's constricting him, but not to the point of suffocation. The hushed wisps around his ear now a string of muffled voices.

Lastly, Jaemin dreams of West Virginia, and land mines. Jaemin thinks back to every time Jeno puts on his favorite movie and says 'Nana I'm eggsy and you can be my Harry!' To which Jaemin just laughs off and replies 'I feel more like Merlin with the way you've been treating me like a servant.'

Jeno would always frown, a pout on his lips, and his eyebrows knit together. 'He's not a servant! He is very important too! He always helps everyone.'

Jaemin always makes amends by offering to play one of the mechanical dogs as Jeno runs around the house trying to 'fight' him.

The wisps of hushed voices are now crystal clear. Jaemin is ninety percent awake and he can make out the voice behind his ear. He can feel the arm around his waist and the bulk of a man pressed up behind him.

"Manners..

Maketh..

Man.." 

Jeno breathes into his ear which causes him to recoil and elbow the hybrid's stomach.

"Ouch! Yah! That hurt!" The larger of the two has the audacity to exclaim. 

Jaemin faces him, a scowl on his face. "That's what you get for being a creep. And why are you in my bed?"

"I was only waking you up.." Jeno curls into Jaemin's stomach and speaks. 

"It's a special day today you know." His voice comes out muffled because of Jaemin's stomach and his shirt.

Jaemin wracks his mind trying to figure out what today is yet nothing comes to mind.

" What are you talking about? Today is just a Saturda- Ow! Jeno what the hell? You bit my stomach!" It wasn't really a strong bite, but it caught Jaemin off guard.

"Hmmph! Serves you right for forgetting. Today is two days away from my birthday."

Jeno bit him for forgetting his birthday which was still two days from now. Jaemin rubbed at his temple, trying not to reprimand the overgrown baby half nuzzling and half clawing at his stomach. Was he supposed to greet the boy every day until his birthday?

"Christ.. if your birthday wasn't coming up I'd ground you and make you do all the house work. Now get off my bed and out of my room. You're already so much bigger than me and there's no space left."

"No!"

"Jeno."

"I said no!!!"

"I'm gonna count to three. You know what happens when we reach three."

"Stop it! Stop counting!"

"One."

"Don't! I said stop counting!"

"Two."

Jeno screams so loud it stops Jaemin. The hybrid is crying against his chest now. Not cute crocodile tears, but full on sobbing into oblivion. 'Oh fuck.' Jaemin thinks.

"Shhh. I'm sorry. Nana was just joking. He didn't mean it. He won't count anymore okay? Nono is a good boy." Jaemin's absolution comes just as fast as his reprimanding. 

Jeno doesn't usually cry like this. But when he does it means something is up and it's close to impossible to make him calm down. Jaemin breaks out their nicknames and starts talking in third person points of view.

His sleeping shirt feels wet from Jeno crying into his chest and gnawing at the fabric- something the boy does when he's nervous.

Jaemin tries to ease Jeno into a calmer state. He rubs at the base the hybrid's spine and cards his fingers through his hair, occasionally scratching behind his ears.

"Country roads, take me home, to the place,I belong, West Virginia.." Jaemin sings softly to appease the distressed overgrown puppy. His voice is barely above a whisper because he knows Jeno can hear him. Jeno always hears him.

Jeno is quiet, but he stops crying.

"Nono? What was that about?"

"Y-you were going to punish me."

Jaemin isn't buying whatever Jeno is selling, because he knows the punishments he gives aren't even that bad. It's mostly no movies, no playing inside the house, and no belly rubs and petting.

"Try harder, nono, because I'm not believing that's all there is to it."

Jeno huffs and repositions himself. His body was now using Jaemin's own as a mattress. He takes Jaemin's hand and leads it to his stomach. Jaemin gets the message and starts rubbing. Apparently he was in the wrong now.

"Why can't I sleep with you?"

He says it so casually Jaemin stops rubbing, causing the hybrid to nudge him with the back of his head. Jaemin's cheeks are flushed as he thinks about all the implications that statement could mean.

"Well.. I.. You're already so big! You're basically my age now."

"But I'm still Nono! And you're still my Nana. I don't understand. You said I'd always be your puppy. You said you will never stop loving me."

Curse Jeno's memory. It's another hybrid thing, probably. It never occured to Jaemin how his love for Jeno would backfire like it did now.

Jaemin snakes his arms around Jeno's torso, hugging him as tight as he can. It was probably no big deal for Jeno since Jaemin has the strength of a grape.

"Dumbo."

Jeno snickers, knowing he's won this battle. "You said a bad word."

Jaemin feels like he's dreaming again. This time he's with Jeno. They're walking around the park and they see so many things.

 

They're walking and they see Jeno's hybrid workmates. Mark the beagle hybrid. Jisung the shiba inu hybrid. And Taeyong the corgi hybrid.

 

They're walking deeper into the park. It seems less familiar now. Jeno sees a rabbit hybrid somewhere behind the trees and tries to run after him. Jaemin follows suit but loses them.

They're walking, but they aren't together anymore. Jaemin sees a calico cat and he studies it. The cat walks off, standoffish and aloof as ever. 

It's the size of a dot. 

And now it's lost in the deep emerald of the grass.

Jaemin isn't walking anymore. He doesn't feel all there. But he sees Jeno walking. The rabbit hybrid long forgotten.

Jaemin remembers visiting the hybrid shelter with Jeno once. They visited Hyuck one of Jeno's hybrid friends from the cafe who works part time at the shelter. Jaemin remembers Jeno crying because Hyuck moved away.

It feels nice. Jaemin feels like he's floating. His eyes slowly lose sight of Jeno, then they lose sight of everything.

He feels the cosmos within Jeno's eyes. He sees the sun and the planets. He sees the moon and the stars. Jaemin sees every speck of dust that makes space what it is.

Jaemin can see Jeno in the park. As he slowly fades into the emerald of the grass and the trees.

Jaemin can't see Jeno anymore, but he feels him. And Jeno is walking.. and walking.. and walking.

 

"What if you leave Nana someday?"

Jeno shakes his head within seconds.

"Not happening." He says confidently. 

"Never?" Jaemin asks, smiling playfully despite how Jeno can't see him

"Never."

Jeno says it with so much finality that it puts both of their worries to rest.

 

♤

 

It smells of bacon and waffles and Jeno's senses are immediately awake. His body is off the bed within seconds and he's sniffing around for Jaemin, but finds nothing. He's on Jaemin's bed again, but this time around he becomes fearless as he slips into the covers with his human because he knows Jaemin won't even give him an odd look. Today is his birthday and he feels like he can't be touched by anyone.

He pads downstairs and sees Jaemin reading a book on their 4-seater dining table. The most important thing right now is that Jeno's nose wasn't playing tricks on him. He sees the bacon and waffles and doesn't even spare a second.

Jaemin looks down from his book and smiles at Jeno being ravenous over a few thin slices of cured meat and flour, eggs, and milk. Jeno isn't paying him any mind so Jaemin walks over and back hugs the hybrid, kissing his cheek.

"Happy birthday, nono!"

"Myaahgh stahgp iht I'm eating! Ewww" Jeno makes a show of wiping the spot Jaemin had kissed moments ago. Jaemin knows the hybrid loves it though because his tail never lies and the cherry tinting his cheeks don't either.

Jaemin goes back to his book. His eyes are on paragraph three line number five.

After a few more minutes his eyes are still on the same page and his mind was still on Jeno. He wanted things to be perfect tonight despite how the boy did not have any expectations for a party.

Jaemin feels like it's been forever since he was on paragraph three of the same page. His eyes land on Jeno eating like he was lethargic. Yep. Jaemin knew large amounts of bacon and sweets did this to the boy.

With a laugh Jaemin calls out to Jeno because it seemed like he wasn't the only one stuck on something. The hybrid was gnawing at the same waffles for several minutes now.

"Yah! Lee Jeno, your first mission for today is to take a bath. You will be meeting with agent Lee Mark at Kingsmen headquarters."

That seemed to spur something inside Jeno as he understands what was going on and speedily finishes off the rest of his breakfast and runs upstairs to take his bath.

 

◇

 

Jeno and Jaemin were running late because the hybrid wanted to wear his "Kingsmen uniform" to meet with Mark and Jaemin wasn't having any of that nonsense. 

"Oh come on! Stop pouting, birthday boy! It's a casual meeting to plan something with agent Mark. No need for mission uniforms." Jaemin offers, trying to make amends with the pouting hybrid.

"Hmmm if you say so."

Jaemin was trying to get Jeno to leave the house so he could set everything up for the surprise later. Jeno was always so understanding of him and their situation. No money meant no frills and extra flowery shit. The hybrid had only hugged Jaemin and told him it's okay when the boy told him there wouldn't be any surprises this year despite how eighteen was a special birthday for Jeno.

He's hoping Mark is ready to distract the boy for the whole day. He had bacon and waffles for breakfast and that usually means a full tank of energy to spend.

They pull up at the cafe both hybrids work at and see Mark making his way over to the old beat up pick up truck his dad had given him right before he had passed.

"Nana hyung!" Mark shouts as Jeno gets out of the car.

"Yah! You can't call him that!" Jeno growls, pushing Mark a bit.

Jaemin smiles at the beagle hybrid apologetically. He had a question mark written all over his face because that was very sudden.

Once both boys are good and chatting Jaemin calls for Jeno and the boy walks back over to the open window.

"Nono, I'm going to go over and help Jaehyun with something okay? You have fun with Mark."

"Eh? Why? That weird neighbor hyung is always needing help."

Jaemin shakes his head as he hands Jeno a few bills.

"Here. You ummm you go buy something for your birthday."

That seemed to shut the boy up as he looks at Jaemin with both shock and guilt.

"But.. I thought you said.. No- I'm okay even if you don't give me a gift." Jeno looks down at the bills. Jaemin sees the different emotions swimming inside his eyes and it breaks his heart how a few bills would cause Jeno distraught.

"I uhh I had extra cash. Come on. I want you to get something nice for your birthday."

Jeno's fingers are slow and his movements are calculated. It was as if he felt bad for taking the money. Jaemin leans over and pecks his nose before sending him off.

"Yah, no more frowning. I've already made you sad a few times today. Enjoy your day, okay?"

Jeno watches him with an unreadable expression. Jaemin is brought back into the depths of the hybrid's eyes. There are so many more emotions that swim inside its deep recesses. It was hard to fathom but Jaemin loves it. He loves how much of a mystery Jeno still is despite wearing his heart on his sleeve.

Jeno is happy with him right? He thinks. Jaemin is enough right? Those swirling nebulas in his eyes meant he was.. right?

 

♤

 

"Oooh looks like someone got a kiss from snow white hyung." Mark smirked at Jeno teasingly.

Jeno had the same cherry tint he was sporting this morning on his cheeks. "Shut up."

"Why do you keep calling him that? Snow White is a girl."

"Eh doesn't matter. Jaemin hyung looks so white. Like almost like paper you know?"

Jeno frowns at the semblance of what could have been an insult, but he knew better than to act on it. It was just Mark after all. "He says it's because he was born with special blood. He jokes about how his mom was a ghost"

"Hmmmm" Mark frowns at that but lets it go.

They spend the day trying to look for a shirt Jeno feels like he should buy for himself and Jaemin.

"It's your birthday, why are you buying hyung a shirt?" Mark questions as they exit yet another shop. Jeno was crazy detail oriented. When the male has something in mind, then nothing less than what is exact will do.

"Hmm don't care. I want to buy Nana a shirt too. And besides it's my money." Jeno pouts as he answers Mark.

Apparently the last shop on the last floor of the mall was where Jeno found what he was looking for. The hybrid was smiling from ear to ear. He found two raglan shirts that had Virginia written on them. He bought the red one for Jaemin and the black one for himself.

After the whole shirt dilemma they go to a yogurt place where Mark gave Jeno his two-part gift. The first part was him paying for Jeno's yogurt and the birthday boy went crazy on the extra toppings. The second one were gift certificates for more yogurt. 

"Yah! Not so much! You're going to make me broke!" Mark lamented, looking at the mound of toppings Jeno had on his yogurt. At this point you couldn't even see the yogurt anymore.

Jeno paid him no mind and skipped over to the counter to have his yogurt weighed.

"He's paying." Jeno smiled at the cashier as he pointed to a frowning Mark. He got spoons for both of them and grabbed a few free stickers they had on display.

This was one of the best birthdays Jeno has ever had. All he usually does is eat out with Jaemin and buy cake then eat it with Mark, Taeyong and Jaehyun at their apartment.

Now that he thought about it, he was getting a bit sad because he wanted to spend today with Jaemin. Mark was great but all he really wants is to be near Jaemin.

"Yah! You punk, you took too many sweets! Jaemin hyung is going to scold me if he finds out. You know your body is weak."

Jeno frowns at Mark, his trademark frown-pout on his lips. "That's not very professional agent Lee. You know this mission is confidential."

"Lee Jeno stop with tha-"

Jeno gasps loudly, remembering something very important. "My suit!"

Mark looks at him confusedly. "What?"

"Nana is probably going to hide my suit because I wore it yesterday and two days before my birthday."

"Eh he won't. It's your birthday after all. And why did you keep wearing it?"

"Because I was playing Kingsmen at home. And where's your suit? You should get one because maybe we're going to have some cake later. I'm going to buy one since Nana is busy."

Mark's eyes bulge a little, remembering the surprise. They were going to run late if they didn't go now. 

"Oh yeah uh why don't we start heading back to the cafe? I left my stuff there."

"Hmm sure, but we need to go home soon because it's getting dark." Jeno replies, getting up from his seat. They start walking back to the cafe situated across the mall they were currently at.

Jeno is greeted by Jisung and Chenle, the baristas working today. "Happy Birthday! The mutt is getting old!"

Jeno smiles at their antics. It looked like a slow day today judging from how both male's were playing on their phones before they had looked up.

"Hehe thank yo-"

Mark grabs his hand hurriedly and drags him into the locker room. After a few seconds of asking Mark what was up and why they were in the locker rooms he found articles of clothing shoved into his arms.

"Shut up at wear that. Understood, agent Lee?"

Jeno loves playing Kingsmen so he doesn't miss a beat and starts stripping and changing into the suit and slacks Mark brought for him.

Once both of them were dressed they ran out of the cafe, hearing Chenle shouting 'hey what the heck are you guys doing?'

They're inside the private Kingsmen transport vehicle (which meant they caught the 5:45 bus that would get them home) and they sit at the very back.

"Agent Lee Jeno, Na Jaemin has been held captive at your building. I know you love him but our job comes first. The safety of all agents are to be secured before anyone elses.." Mark looks at him seriously to which Jeno replies with a just as serious, albeit shy "Understood, agent Lee Mark."

The rest of the ride is relatively quiet minus Jeno's thumping tail. They were going to be on time after all. Mark let's out a breath he was holding from all the time estimation he had to do so they wouldn't be late.

One minute Mark hears thumping and nonstop fidgeting from the other male and now he feels a head resting against his shoulder. He looks to his side and sees Jeno knocked out.

Mark shakes his head, sporting a smile. "See? told you not to eat all those sweets."

Jeno is knocked out for the rest of the trip.

 

◇

 

"Agent Lee Jeno, are you ready to rescue the love of your life?" Mark whispers beside Jeno. They're both acting awfully suspicious. Passersby would probably have given them a few odd looks because in what world would two hybrids in suits, crouching in front of an apartment's entrance be normal?

Jeno is cherry red again, looking down shyly at Mark's shameless choice of words.

"Yeah I uh.. I mean yes. Yes, agent Lee Mark." Jeno fumbles for a reply but recovers immediately. 

They sneak into the pitch black apartment, adrenaline coursing through Jeno's veins. He lived for there realistic Kingsmen Missions.

They walk on eggshells trying to get through the hallway without making too much noise. Mark signals for him to jump into action once they see the living room entrance.

3  
.  
.  
.  
2  
.  
.  
.  
1  
.  
.  
.

Jeno runs into the dimly lit living room expecting to see Jaemin tied up and squirming for help.

The next turn of events almost give him a heart attack.

 

As soon as he is in front of their sofa Jeno is faced with a few loud pops and flickering lights. Colors are swirling around him and the view slowly focuses. There is a party popper in Taeyong's hands and a strawberry cake in Jaemin's.

"Happy Birthday!!!" They all simultaneously scream out. 

Jeno's face goes from surprised to ecstatic. The smile on his face is from ear to ear because the people that matter the most to him are all here and they're wearing their Kingsmen uniform. The hybrid's tail can't stop wagging from the joy he's feeling.

"Wha- what is everyone doing here?"

Taeyong points towards Jaemin and says "Jaemin hyung wanted to surprise you! Jaehyun helped too! We made kimbap, jajangmyeon and we cut up some fruit."

Their dining table is situated in the middle of their living room probably because there are more seats there. Jeno looks at their dining table and it's full of food. This is the most full it has ever been. His heart feels warm at the thought of all the effort and time everyone took to prepare this.

"Tadaaaa!" Jaemin comes out from behind everyone with his cake and there are about eighteen candles on it. "Surprise! Make a wish and blow every candle out!"

Jeno smiles at Jaemin and pauses to make a wish before blowing out each one.

There is a chorus of cheers and applause as Jaemin announces the opening of their little dinner bar after they congratulated Jeno on his birthday again. Everyone starts grabbing plates and seats.

Jaemin walks back into the kitchen to chill the cake so they can eat it after dinner. He feels accomplished. The smile on Jeno's face made every bit of effort he had to put into the surprise worth it. A few seconds after fiddling with the cake's box Jaemin feels arms snaking around his waist and he feels Jeno breathing down his neck.

"Nana."

"Hey, birthday boy. How was your day with Mark?" Jaemin loosens Jeno's hold around him and turns around to face the hybrid. His eyes were a bit teary so Jaemin presses both his palms on each side of Jeno's cheeks. 

"You've gotten chubbier." Jaemin points out.

They were in their own little world again. Taeyong, Mark, and Jaehyun are all gone and it's just Nana and Nono. Things get a bit weird sometimes because Jaemin never put a label on whatever this between them was. But he never felt the need to because he was sure of what he felt and he knows Jeno is too.

His concerns transcend the usual things people think about. He wasn't at all concerned about their sexuality, the human-hybrid status of their relationship or their age because Jaemin didn't grow up with that mindset. He didn't grow up valuing ages and labels and he certainly didn't think these things made you who you are.

Jeno loved him and he loved Jeno and that was what mattered most. If only time loved them enough to give them more of it because Jaemin longed for an unattainable forever with Jeno.. Jaemin knew it was unfair of him to question time because we all get equal amounts of it. Time moves faster when we do fulfilling things and vice versa when we're stuck doing what doesn't spark fires within us.

Time is a gift and Jaemin felt so so blessed. He might not have lived as long as his parents yet but he has felt that fire his parents once talked about when he was younger. They told him there would come a day when he'd meet someone that would give him purpose.

Jaemin doesn't regret picking Jeno up from under the bridge. Jeno gave him so much within such little time. 

Lovers often promise forevers. Jaemin thinks it doesn't make things as meaningful as they should be. Jeno understood the concept of time and forever rather well. One time when Jaemin asked him how long he would stay by Jaemin's side and to Jaemin's surprise the hybrid answered "As long as infinities last. As long as our infinity lasts."

Jaemin never understood what the hybrid meant but he knew Jeno had profound knowledge on this topic. You see, hybrids don't get the luxury of living as long as a hundred years like humans do. Jeno was over finding happiness because he already was happy. It seemed to him like at this point the pursuit of meaningfulness was more fulfilling than the pursuit of happiness, and that was one thing Jaemin dreamed to do in this life. It was something he wanted to accomplish in this little infinity of theirs.

Jaemin is brought back to the now when Jeno nuzzles his neck with his nose. 

"Yahhh, don't ignore me." The hybrid whines quietly.

"Wha- what did you say?"

"I said, you shouldn't have gone through all this trouble. You could have gotten tired doing it."

Jaemin smiles at the hybrid's concern. "I told you. I wanted to do this for you."

"Okay but you should have just to-"

Jeno is leaning against Jaemin within seconds, clutching his chest. He had to catch his breath. His heart suddenly hurt.

Jaemin carries Jeno to sit on top of the countertop and he looks at Jeno for any further signs of discomfort. 

They stay still for a few more minutes until Jeno has recovered from another episode.

"You alright?"

The hybrid nods.

"Well. That's enough action for tonight. Go upstairs and wash up. I'll uh tell them you're tired. We can eat the cake some other time."

Jeno still seems shocked but he complies and smiles at Jaemin before going back to the living room and saying his goodnight to everyone.

Jaemin clutches his own chest. "Fuck. If I can only give you my own heart I would."

This was another thing they had to deal with. Jeno's weak heart was a complication he had been carrying since birth. They usually navigated it well enough to not have any problems. The vet says there's nothing they can do about it. A heart transplant wasn't even an option because of how fragile Jeno's system is. Meds were also out of the question because Jeno hated pills and the medication cost more than what they both earn

Mark walks into the kitchen with a weird look on his face.

"Hyung. We need to talk."

Jaemin closes his eyes and tells Mark they can talk after he sends all their guests on their way which was fairly easy considering how Jaehyun is just from next door and Taeyong would be staying over his apartment for the night.

They settle things and explain what happened before slowly tidying up.

"You're even more pale up close, snow white hyung." 

Jaemin pauses for a bit but continues transferring leftovers into containers. 

Mark shakes his head, but starts walking away. "I have a shift at the cafe tonight since they decided opening 24 hours was a good idea. Call me if you need anything. Let's talk some other time, hyung."

 

"You jealous of my alabaster complexion, Mark?" Jaemin throws playfully just as Mark was exiting their apartment. 

Mark is out of the apartment and he stares up at the sky. It's a beautiful starry night.

"No, hyung. But I am concerned." He whispers to the wind, hoping they would give the heavens a listen as well.

 

♧

 

Jaemin walks into Jeno's room to find it empty again. He isn't even alarmed anymore. He just walks to his own room to find Jeno hugging his pillow. Sitting bye Jeno's side, he combs his fingers through the hybrid's hair.

"Are you tired?" Jeno whispers, eyes still closed.

"A bit. But I'm alright."

Jeno opens his eyes and Jaemin is in awe once more. The moonlight shining against the hybrid's eyes highlight the beauty of the deep sapphire and earthy brown.

Jeno grabs him by the arm and positions him so that he has his head on the hybrid's chest.

"Your heart has a different rhythm every beat. Hehe it sounds cute."

"Yeah? He's kinda broken but he still works just fine."

They find themselves unable to sleep after several minutes of quiet.

"You know what, Nana?"

"What?"

"We haven't gone yet."

Oh. Right.

"Well then, you still up for it?" Jaemin is honestly very tired, but he throws caution to the wind because this was a tradition. This is something they don't break. Every birthday Jeno has they go back to the same bridge where they met. To where their infinity began.

 

♡

 

This seems very familiar. Except it happened somewhere around the afternoon and Jaemin didn't have a huge hybrid holding his hand and clinging to him. He wasn't in the best state of mind at that time, but he found Jeno and it all slapped him back into reality. A hybrid that got left was happy with sleeping on rags and he was feeling sorry for himself because things just weren't going the way he wanted.

They stop just beneath the bridge, hands still intertwined with each other's.

"You stood here that night. And I was alarmed because a few stray hybrids took my cardboard a few days before. I'd usually just run and avoid trouble but you just.. you just felt right. And then you picked me up like it was a normal thing to do. You were so willing to accept me and all of my baggage, which wasn't a lot considering how I didn't have any stuff." Jeno laughs at his own pun and looks at Jaemin happily.

Jaemin smiles, leaning into Jeno to peck his cheek. "And I'd do it all over again."

Jeno blushes even more. Fuck. His heart felt so full. He didn't know how to act on his emotions because Jaemin just felt so right. Then and now. Jeno pecks Jaemin back and whispers a barely audible I love you. He knows Jaemin can hear him. He always does.

They walk around the area for a few more minutes.

"Let's go back home. It's getting late."

Jeno hums in reply, walking with his fingers still in Jaemin's hand.

The universe can be kind, but it can also be so so cruel. This time around Jaemin doesn't blame time, because he is very grateful for every second he was given with Jeno.

One moment they are both walking, then next there is a body on the ground, collapsed and helpless. There were so many signs that led up to this, but that's the thing about love. It makes you ignore those signs.


End file.
